Flow control device for hoppers



Dec. 10, 1968 D. G. BOWSER FLOW CONTROL DEVICE FOR HOPPERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 .Filed Jan. 11, 1967 FILE-- 1 DONALD G. BOWSE/P M %,J ez&/

Attorney Dec. 10, 1968 D. 5 BOWSER FLOW CONTROL DEVICE FOR HOPPERS U m m 4 2 1 5 b M m GF IHf mm a 1 m w k 9 MW e I A q; .1 2 1 9 W 5 m u E a F 6 a 7. ma, 5 JO 4 3 1 n 6 7 M m Q 6 F. 6 w a n 5 E 5 5 M 1% m 1 P mmMw N5 r 5 m V0 I w 4 United States Patent O 3,415,423 FLOW CONTROL DEVICE FOR HOPPERS Donald G. Bowser, Pleasant Hills Borough, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 11, 1967, Ser. No. 608,661 13 Claims. (Cl. 222-244) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to hoppers for delivering material and, more particularly, to an improved flow control device for insuring free flow of substantially all of the material from the hopper when its gate is opened.

Background of the invention Heretofore, by-product coke ovens have been charged with measured amounts of coal by apparatus of the type shown in United States Patent No. 886,672, issued May 5, 1908, to Baker and United States Patent No. 2,009,940, issued July 30, 1935, to McEwan. Each by-product coke oven is provided with a plurality of charging holes. A charging car transports measured amounts of coal from an overhead bunker in a plurality of hoppers, one individual hopper being provided for each Charging hole in the by-product coke oven. Opening of the hopper gate causes the measured amount of coal to gravitate through the charging hole and into the by-product coke oven unless the bulk density or physical condition of the coal (i.e. moisture content, size and the like) causes the coal to form coal arches within the hopper, which coal arches prevent the free flow of the coal from the hopper.

One attempt to prevent the formation of coal arches within the hopper and to insure the free flow of the coal from the hopper, employed vibrators installed in the sides of the hoppers. These vibrators aided the free fiow of the coal but have not been successful in all cases. Another attempted solution was the employment of powerdriven agitators which either oscillate or revolve within the hopper, which agitators were reasonably satisfactory but the high cost of installation and maintenance was not acceptable. Manual arch breaking of the coal arches is a further conventional method.

Objects of the invention It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of and objections to prior art practices by the provision of an improved flow control device for a hopper for delivering material, which flow control device:

(a) eliminates material arches within a hopper during discharge of the material therefrom;

(b) insures free flow of a material from a hopper;

(c) is simple and rugged in construction;

(d) has a long operational life;

(e) reduces material handling cost and installation and maintenance costs; and

(f) eliminates manual arch breaking, thus increasing the safety and improving the working conditions of the charging car employees.

The aforesaid objects of the present invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by providing a flow control device for a hopper gate operating mechanism having a gate reciprocable in the bottom of the hopper, drive means connected to the gate for operating the gate, and the flow control device having a supporting member connected to the drive means and reciprocable in a guide 3,415,423 Patented Dec. 10, 1968 means on the hopper by the drive means, and arch breaker means mounted on the supporting member for insuring free flow of material from the hopper when the gate is opened.

Brief description of the several views of the drawings For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of an empty by-product coke oven showing the loaded hoppers of a larry car in registry with the charging holes of the byproduct coke oven;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of one of the hoppers showing the gate-operating mechanism and the flow control device;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the flow control device wherein the breaker bars are rotatable about a vertical axis;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 2 of another alternative embodiment wherein the breaker bars are rotatable about a horizontal axis;

FIGURE 4A is a fragmentary view of a further alternative embodiment wherein the breaker bars are oscillatable about a horizontal axis; and

FIGURES 5-10 are fragmentary end. views of alternative embodiments of the breaker bars.

Although the principles of the present invention are broadly applicable to hoppers for delivering material, the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with hoppers for delivering coal to a byproduct coke oven and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described.

Detailed description With specific reference to the form of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, and referring particularly to FIGURE 1, a by-product coke oven is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10.

This by-product coke oven 10 has doors (not shown) for leveling a material, such as charged coal 26, and for discharging the processed coke (not shown) and is provided with a plurality of charging holes 14 (FIGURE 1). For the purpose of charging the holes 14 with predetermined amounts of coal 26 (ie the content of the hopper 24, FIGURE 2), a larry car 16 (FIGURE 1) is movable on wheels 18 on a track 20 disposed on the roof 22 of the by-product coke oven 10. This larry car 16 has individual hoppers 24 (FIGURES 1, 2) for each charging hole 14.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the hopper 24 for delivering the coal 26, has a discharge opening 28 and a gate 30 reciprocable in the side walls 32 of the hopper 24 adjacent the discharge opening 28 to discharge all of the coal 26 from the hopper 24 by means of the discharge opening 28. Drive means are connected to the gate 30. This drive means comprises a lever 34 (FIGURE 2) pivoted at 36 on a frame 16a (FIGURES 1, 2) of the larry car 16 and connected to the gate 30 by a link 38 and a connecting rod 40 extending from the bottom of the lever 34 to a power member, such as the gear reduction unit 42 driven by a motor 43.

Flow control device The flow control device 44 has a supporting member 46 (FIGURE 2) mounted in guide means, such as the socket guides or sleeves 48, in the side: walls 32 of the hopper 24. The guides 48 comprise a first guide 48 in the side wall 32 of the hopper 24 and a second guide 48 in an opposite portion of the side wall 32. The supporting It will be understood by those skilled in the art that alternatively as shown in FIGURE 3 the breaker bars 54 may be journaled in bushings 55 and rotated in the direction of the arrows by motors 58. The power lines 60 for the motors 58 are carried in a hollow portion 62 of the supporting member 46 In FIGURE 4 the supporting member 46 is connected by a ball and socket joint 64 t the link 50 and the round supporting member 46 of the flow control device 44 is rotatable in the bushing sleeves 48 by a motor 66 and a slip clutch 66a. The motor 66 and clutch 66a are reciprocably mounted on a slide 67 on a platform 68.

In FIGURE 4A the breaker bars 54 are oscillatable by an oscillating motor 66. A squared end extension 46 of the supporting member 46 is reciprocal in a mating aperture in a sleeve 66b.

Further it will be understood that the breaker bars 54 (FIGURE 5) may be disposed at an angle B from the vertical axis of the fiow control device 44 the angle B being, for example, about 20 depending on the slope of the hopper 24. In FIGURE 6 the angularly disposed breaker bars 54 are arcuate. FIGURE 7 shows the breaker bars 54 provided with straight cross members 70 having decreasing lengths in a direction toward the supporting member 46 The cross members 70 (FIGURE 8) are arcuate while the cross members 70 (FIGURE 9) are disposed at an angle A with respect to the breaker bar 54 to increase the arch breaking cross sectional area. In FIGURE 10 a plurality of breaker bars 54 disposed quadrentally or at any desired angle from the supporting member 46 may be employed.

Summary of the achievements of the objects of the invention It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by providing an improved flow control device 44 for a hopper 24 for delivering material 26, which flow control device eliminates material arches within the hopper 26 during discharge of the material 26 therefrom; insures free flow of the material 26 from the hopper 24; is simple and rugged in construction; has a long operational life; reduces material handling cost and installation and maintenance costs; and eliminates manual arch breaking, thus increasing the safety and improving the working conditions of the charging car employees.

While in accordance with the patent statutes, preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

I claim:

1. For a hopper for delivering material and having a discharge opening, a gate reciprocable in the opening to retain and to discharge said material from said hopper, and drive means connected to said gate, a flow control device having:

(a) a first guide means in the side wall of said hopper and a second guide means in an opposite portion of said side wall;

(b) a supporting member connected to said drive means and reciprocable by said drive means in said guide means; and

(0) material arch breaker means on said supporting member and having a fixed angular relationship with .4 said supporting member for contacting and breaking up material arches in said hopper and for insuring free flow of substantially all of said material from said hopper when said gate is opened;

(1) said material arch breaker means being rotatable in said supporting member, and having motor means on said supporting member connected to said material arch breaker means for rotating said material arch breaker means.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the flow control device operates simultaneously with said gate.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said drive means has a lever pivoted on said hopper and connected to said gate, and a power member connected to said lever.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said material arch breaker means has a breaker bar substantially perpendicular to said supporting member.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said material arch breaker means has a breaker bar angularly disposed from the vertical axis of said flow control device.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said material arch breaker means has a breaker bar which is arcuate.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said materrial arch breaker means has a plurality of breaker bars.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said material arch breaker means has a breaker bar provided with a cross member.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 8 wherein said cross member is substantially perpendicular to said breaker bar.

10. The apparatus recited in claim 8 wherein said cross member is arcuate.

11. The apparatus recited in claim 8 wherein said cross member is angularly disposed with respect to said breaker bar.

.12. For a hopper for delivering material and having a discharge opening, a gate reciprocable in the opening to retain and to discharge said material from said hopper, and drive means connected to said gate, a flow control device having:

(a) a first guide means in the side wall of said hopper and a second guide means in an opposite portion of said side wall;

(b) a supporting member connected to said drive means and reciprocable by said drive means in said guide means;

(0) material arch breaker means on said supporting member and having a fixed angular relationship with i said supporting member for contacting and breaking up material arches in said hopper and for insuring free flow of substantially all of said material from said hopper when said gate is opened,

(1) said material arch breaker means and said supporting member being oscillatable, and

((1) motor means on said supporting member for oscillating said material arch breaker means and said supporting member.

13. For a hopper for delivering material and having a discharge opening, a gate reciprocable in the opening to retain and to discharge said material from said hopper,

and drive means connected to said gate, a flow control device having:

(a) a first guide means in the side wall of said hopper and a second guide means in an opposite portion of said side wall;

(b) a supporting member connected to said drive means and reciprocable by said drive means in said guide means;

(c) material arch breaker means on said supporting member and having a fixed angular relationship with said supporting member for contacting and breaking up material arches in said hopper and for insuring free flow of substantially all of said material from said hopper when said gate is opened,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Graumlich 222-236 X Elkins.

Branchflower 222-236 X Murray 222-233 Abraham et a1. 222-245 X Gaston et a1. 222-200 Bergerioux 222-244 X Bamford et a1. 222-244 TWose 222-244 X Vitkin 222-200 Rockriver 222-245 X U.S. C1. X.R. 

